Override Radio Basic Settings

About this task

If required, you can modify or override a radio's basic configurations at the device level.

Procedure

  1. Select a radio and click Edit.

    The Radio Settings tab displays by default.

    Click to expand in new window
    Profile Overrides - Radio - Radio Settings Tab
  2. Define or override the following radio configuration Properties:
    Description Provide or edit a description (1 - 64 characters in length) for the radio that helps differentiate it from others with similar configurations.
    Admin Status Select Enabled or Disabled to define this radio‘s current status within the network. When enabled, the access point is operational and available for client support within the network. The radio is enabled by default and must be shut down manually.
    Radio QoS Policy Use the drop-down menu to specify an existing QoS policy to apply to the access point radio in respect to its intended radio traffic. If no existing policy is suitable for this radio‘s intended operation, select the Create icon to define a new QoS policy.
    Association ACL Specify an existing Association ACL policy to apply to the access point radio. An Association ACL is a policy-based ACL that either prevents or allows wireless clients from connecting to a managed Access Point radio. An ACL is a sequential collection of permit and deny conditions that apply to controller or service platform packets. When a packet is received on an interface, the access point, controller or service platform compares the fields in the packet against any applied ACLs to verify the packet has the required permissions to be forwarded. If a packet does not meet any of the criteria specified in the ACL, the packet is dropped. Select the Create icon to define a new Association ACL that can be applied to this profile.
  3. Set or override the following Radio Settings for the selected access point radio:
    RF Mode The radio can be configured to provide WLAN service for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz enabled clients. You can also set the radio to provide sensor support, scan-ahead support, or function as a client bridge.

    Set the mode to either 2.4 GHz WLAN or 5 GHz WLAN depending on the radio's intended client support requirement.

    Set the mode to Sensor if using the radio for rogue device detection. To set a radio as a detector, disable Sensor support on the other access point radio.

    Select Bridge to allow the radio to function as a client-bridge can authenticate and associate to the WLAN hosted on the infrastructure access point. if selecting this option, configure the client-bridge parameters. Refer to the Override Client Bridge Settings topic for details.

    Note: For information on the possible modes of operations for the AP510i/e and AP560i/h radios, see AP310i/e, AP510i/e and AP560i/h Radio 1 and Radio 2: Possible Modes of Operation.
    Note: For information on the possible modes of operations for the AP505i radios, see AP505i Radio 1 and Radio 2: Possible Modes of Operation.
    Note: The AP510e access point has eight, external antennas grouped into: Group 1 (with antenna ports 1 to 4) and Group 2 (with antenna ports 5 to 8). Use the 'Antenna' option to configure the antenna-id for the group-1 (1 to 4) or group-2 (5 to 8) antennas. For information on configuring the antenna-id, see Override AP510e/AP560h Antenna-id Configuration.
    Note: The AP560h access point has eight, internal antennas, supporting following two antenna types: 30 degree and 70 degree. Use the 'Antenna' option to configure the antenna type used with the antenna ports. For information on configuring the antenna-id, see Override AP510e/AP560h Antenna-id Configuration.
    Note: Starting with the WiNG 7.2.0 release, AP510i/e and AP560i/h model access points will support SMART RF in the dual-5GHz software mode.
    Lock RF Mode Select this option to lock Smart RF calibration functions for this radio. The default setting is disabled.
    Channel Select the channel of operation for the radio. Only a trained installation professional should define the radio channel. Select Smart for the radio to scan non-overlapping channels to listen for beacons from other access points. After channels are scanned, the radio selects the channel with the fewest access points. In case of multiple access points on the same channel, it selects the channel with the lowest average power level. The default value is Smart.

    Channels with a “w” appended to them are unique to the 40 MHz band.
    DFS Revert Home Select this option to enable a radio to return to its original channel. Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) prevents a radio from operating in a channel where radar signals are present. When radar signals are detected in a channel, the radio changes its channel of operation to another channel. The radio cannot use the channel it has moved from for the next 30 minutes. When DFS Revert Home is selected, the radio can return back to its original channel of operation when the 30-minute period is over. When not selected, the radio cannot return back to its original channel of operation ever after the mandatory 30-minute evacuation period is over.
    Note: This option is enabled only if the RF Mode is set to 5GH-wlan.
    DFS Duration Set the DFS duration between 30 and 3,600 minutes. This is the duration for which the radio stays in the new channel. The default value is 90 minutes.
    Transmit Power Set the transmit power of the selected access point radio. If the access point has two radios, each radio should be configured with a unique transmit power in respect to its intended client support function.

    Select the smart option to let Smart RF determine the transmit power. Or else, select the other option and manually enter the radio's transmit power.

    The default setting is smart.

    Note: This option is enabled only if the RF Mode is set to 2.5GHZ-wlan or 5GH-wlan.
    Antenna Gain Set the antenna between 0.00 - 15.00 dBm. The access point‘s Power Management Antenna Configuration File (PMACF) automatically configures the access point‘s radio transmit power based on the antenna type, its antenna gain (provided here) and the deployed country‘s regulatory domain restrictions. Once provided, the access point calculates the power range. Antenna gain relates the intensity of an antenna in a given direction to the intensity that would be produced ideally by an antenna that radiates equally in all directions (isotropically), and has no losses. Although the gain of an antenna is directly related to its directivity, its gain is a measure that takes into account the efficiency of the antenna as well as its directional capabilities. Only a professional installer should set the antenna gain. The default value is 0.00.
    Antenna Mode Set the number of transmit and receive antennas on the access point. 1x1 is used for transmissions over just the single “A” antenna, 1x3 is used for transmissions over the “A” antenna and all three antennas for receiving. 2x2 is used for transmissions and receipts over two antennas for dual antenna models. The default setting is dynamic, based on the access point model and its transmit power settings.
    Enable Antenna Diversity Select this option to enable antenna diversity on supported antennas. Antenna diversity uses two or more antennas to increase signal quality and strength. This option is enabled by default.
    Adaptivity Recovery Select this option to switch channels when an access point‘s radio is in adaptivity mode. In adaptivity mode, an access point monitors interference on its set channel and stops functioning when the radio‘s defined interference tolerance level is exceeded. When the defined adaptivity timeout is exceeded, the radio resumes functionality on a different channel. This option is enabled by default.
    Adaptivity Timeout Set the adaptivity timeout from 30 to 3,600 minutes. The default setting is 90 minutes.
    Wireless Client Power Select this option to enable a spinner control for client radio power transmissions in dBm. The available range is 0 - 20 dBm. This option is disabled by default.
    Dynamic Chain Selection Select this option to allow the access point radio to dynamically change the number of transmit chains. The radio uses a single chain/antenna for frames at non 802.11n data rates. This setting is disabled by default.
    Data Rate Once the radio band is provided, the Rate drop-down menu populates with rate options depending on the 2.4 or 5.0 GHz band selected.
    Note: The Data Rates drop-down menu is disabled for radios running as sensors.

    If 2.4 GHz is selected as the radio band, select separate 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n rates and define how they are used in combination. If 5.0 GHz is selected as the radio band, select separate 802.11a and 802.11n rates define how they are used together. When using 802.11n (in either the 2.4 or 5.0 GHz band), Set a MCS (modulation and coding scheme) in respect to the radio‘s channel width and guard interval. An MCS defines (based on RF channel conditions) an optimal combination of 8 data rates, bonded channels, multiple spatial streams, different guard intervals, and modulation types. Clients can associate as long as they support basic MCS (as well as non-11n basic rates).

    For more information on 801.n MCS rates, click here.

    If you are dedicating the radio to either 2.4 or 5 GHz support, a Custom Rates option is available to set a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) in respect to the radio‘s channel width and guard interval. An MCS defines (based on RF channel conditions) an optimal combination of rates, bonded channels, multiple spatial streams, different guard intervals and modulation types. Clients can associate as long as they support basic MCS (as well as non-11n basic rates). If Basic is selected within the 802.11n Rates field, the MCS0-7 option is auto selected as a supported rate and that option is grayed out. If Basic is not selected, any combination of MCS0-7, MCS8-15 and MCS16-23 can be supported, including a case where MCS0-7 and MCS16-23 are selected and not MCS8-15. The MCS0-7 and MCS8-15 options are available to each supported access point.

    Radio Placement Specify whether the radio is located Indoor or Outdoor. The placement should depend on the country of operation selected and its regulatory domain requirements for radio emissions. The default setting is Indoors.
    Max Clients Use the spinner control to set a maximum permissible number of clients to connect with this radio. The available range is between 0 - 512 clients. The default value is 512.
    Note: Starting with the WiNG 7.2.0 release, the AP505, AP510 and AP560 model access points can support a maximum of 512 wireless clients per radio.
    Rate Selection Methods Specify a radio selection method for the radio. The selection methods are:
    Standard
    Standard monotonic radio selection method will be used.
    Opportunistic
    Sets ORLA (opportunistic radio link adaptation) as the radio selection method. This mode uses opportunistic data rate selection to provide the best throughput.

    Refer to the following table for the three possible combinations of WLAN/Sensor configuration that can be applied on the AP310i/e, AP510i/e and AP560i/h access point radios:

    Table 1. AP310i/e, AP510i/e and AP560i/h Radio 1 and Radio 2: Possible Modes of Operation
    Option 1 Radio 1: Set to 2.4 GHz WLAN, Channels 1 - 11 in the 20 MHz /40 MHz bandwidths
    Radio 2: Set to 5 GHz WLAN, Channels 36 - 165 in the 20 MHz /40 MHz /80 MHz /160 MHz bandwidths
    Option 2 Radio 1: Set to Sensor
    Radio 2: Set to 5 GHz WLAN, Channels 36 - 165 in the 20 MHz /40 MHz /80 MHz /160 MHz bandwidths
    Option 3 Radio 1: Set to 5 GHz, Channels 36 - 64 in the 20 MHz /40 MHz /80 MHz /160 MHz bandwidths
    Radio 2: Set to 5 GHz, Channels 100 - 165 in the 20 MHz /40 MHz /80 MHz /160 MHz bandwidths

    Refer to the following table for the two possible combinations of WLAN/Sensor configuration that can be applied on the AP505i access point radios.

    Table 2. AP505i Radio 1 and Radio 2: Possible Modes of Operation
    Option 1 Radio 1: Set to 2.4 GHz WLAN, Channels 1 - 11 in the 20 MHz /40 MHz bandwidths
    Radio 2: Set to 5 GHz WLAN, Channels 36 - 165 in the 20 MHz /40 MHz /80 MHz /160 MHz
    Option 2 Radio 1: Set to Sensor.
    Radio 2: Set to Sensor.
  4. Set the following 11AX Properties for the selected access point radios.
    Enable 11AX Support Select to enable 802.11ax support. Select this checkbox to enable the AP to function in the 802.11ax mode.
    Note: 802.11ax support is enabled by default.
    BSS Color Configures support for 802.11ax BSS coloring and assign the BSS color associated with the radio.

    BSS coloring is a means by which 802.11ax radios differentiate between overlapping Basic Service Sets (BSSs) in multi-path channels. A BSS represents a set of communicating devices consisting of one AP radio and one or more client stations. In an 802.11ax enabled wireless network, each BSS is identified by a numerical identifier (the BSS color) added to the header of the PHY frame.

    BSS coloring impacts channel access behavior and spatial reuse operation. Based on the BSS color detected, APs can assign new channel access behavior. Spatial reuse, is another advantage of enabling BSS color. It applies adaptive Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) thresholds for detected Overlapping BSS (OBSS) frame transmissions, enabling APs to ignore transmissions from an OBSS and transmit at the same time.

    BSS color support is disabled by default.
    OFDMA Enables support for Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) in both or one direction. OFDMA support is disabled by default.
    802.11ax APs use OFDMA technology to partition a channel into smaller sub-channels called resource units (RUs) allowing multiple users, with varying bandwidth needs, to be served simultaneously. OFDMA is ideal for low bandwidth applications and results in better frequency reuse, reduced latency, and increased efficiency. When enabled, the AP mandates the RU allocation for multiple clients for downlink (dl) and uplink (ul) OFDMA. A series of trigger frames are exchanged to allow multi-user transmission in the downlink and uplink directions.
    Note: Specify a guard-interval to avoid overlapping of OFDMA symbols.

    OFDMA is disabled by default.
    TWT Enables 11ax Target Wake Time (TWT) support on the radio.

    The IEEE 802.11ax standard defines power saving enhancements and improved resource scheduling features, such as scheduled sleep and wake times. TWT allows devices, APs and stations, to negotiate when and how frequently they will wake up to send or receive data. TWT increases device sleep time, thereby substantially improving the client device's battery life.

    TWT is disabled by default.
  5. Set or override the following WLAN Properties for the selected access point radio:
    Beacon Interval Set the interval between radio beacons in milliseconds (either 50, 100 or 200). A beacon is a packet broadcast by adopted radios to keep the network synchronized. Included in a beacon is the WLAN service area, radio address, broadcast destination addresses, a time stamp, and indicators about traffic and delivery (such as a DTIM). Increase the DTIM/ beacon settings (lengthening the time) to let nodes sleep longer and preserve battery life. Decrease these settings (shortening the time) to support streaming-multicast audio and video applications that are jitter sensitive. The default value is 100 milliseconds.
    DTIM Interval Set a DTIM Interval to specify a period for Delivery Traffic Indication Messages (DTIM). A DTIM is periodically included in a beacon frame transmitted from adopted radios. The DTIM indicates broadcast and multicast frames (buffered at the access point) are soon to arrive. These are simple data frames that require no acknowledgment, so nodes sometimes miss them. Increase the DTIM/ beacon settings (lengthening the time) to let nodes sleep longer and preserve their battery life. Decrease these settings (shortening the time) to support streaming multicast audio and video applications that are jitter-sensitive.
    RTS Threshold Specify a Request To Send (RTS) threshold (from 1 - 65,536 bytes) for use by the WLAN's adopted access point radios. RTS is a transmitting station's signal that requests a Clear To Send (CTS) response from a receiving client. This RTS/CTS procedure clears the air where clients are contending for transmission time. Benefits include fewer data collisions and better communication with nodes that are hard to find (or hidden) because of other active nodes in the transmission path. The default value is 65,536 bytes.

    Control RTS/CTS by setting an RTS threshold. This setting initiates an RTS/ CTS exchange for data frames larger than the threshold, and sends (without RTS/CTS) any data frames smaller than the threshold.

    Consider the tradeoffs when setting an appropriate RTS threshold for the WLAN's access point radios. A lower RTS threshold causes more frequent RTS/CTS exchanges. This consumes more bandwidth because of additional latency (RTS/CTS exchanges) before transmissions can commence. A disadvantage is the reduction in data-frame throughput. An advantage is quicker system recovery from electromagnetic interference and data collisions. Environments with more wireless traffic and contention for transmission make the best use of a lower RTS threshold.

    A higher RTS threshold minimizes RTS/CTS exchanges, consuming less bandwidth for data transmissions. A disadvantage is less help to nodes that encounter interference and collisions. An advantage is faster data-frame throughput. Environments with less wireless traffic and contention for transmission make the best use of a higher RTS threshold.

    Short Preamble If you are using an 802.11bg radio, select this option for the radio to transmit using a short preamble. Short preambles improve throughput. However, some devices (SpectraLink phones) require long preambles. This option is disabled by default.
    Guard Interval Specify a Long or Any guard interval. The guard interval is the space between characters being transmitted. The guard interval eliminates inter-symbol interference (ISI). ISI occurs when echoes or reflections from one character interfere with another character. Adding time between transmissions allows echo's and reflections to settle before the next character is transmitted. A shorter guard interval results in shorter character times which reduces overhead and increases data rates by up to 10%. The default value is Any.
    Probe Response Rate Specify the data rate used for the transmission of probe responses. Options include highest-basic, lowest-basic, and follow-probe-request. The default value is follow-probe-request.
    Probe Response Retry Select this option to retry probe responses if they are not acknowledged by the target wireless client. This option is enabled by default.
  6. Use the Feed WLAN Packets to Sensor drop-down menu to allow the radio to send WLAN packets to the sensor radio.
    This feature can be enabled in two modes:
    • In Inline mode, the WIPS sensor receives the packets from the radios with each radio operating in normal mode.
    • In Promiscuous mode, the radio is configured to a mode where it receives all packets on the channel whether the destination address is the radio or not, and the WIPS module can analyze the packets.

    Both modes allow packets switched by the radio to be used by the WIPS analysis module.

  7. Click OK to save the changes.
    Click Reset to revert to the last saved configuration.
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